Safety attachment for ladder

ABSTRACT

A conventional ladder means with the upper ends of the parallel side members terminating in a pair of right and left brackets, which brackets retain the end portions of an adjustable abrasive coated front belt for contact against the front side of a pole or tree with a second adjustable strap means pivotally secured to opposite brackets for snugly surrounding the rear portion of said pole or tree for preventing displacement of the ladder when in use.

United States Patent [191 Kelly [451 Feb. 19, 1974 SAFETY ATTACHMENT FORLADDER [76] Inventor: Herbert Kelly, 300 Seville Ave.,

Coral Gables, Fla. 33134 [22] Filed: Apr. 25, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 354,366

[52] US. Cl. 182/93, 182/107 [51] Int. Cl. E06c 5/36, E06c 7/48 [58]Field of Search 182/93, 108, 107, 214

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,870,948 1/1959 Lundgren182/214 2,925,877 2/1960 Wright 182/108 3,715,012 2/1973 Perry 182/214FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 356,886 10/1961 Switzerland 182/93Primary Examiner-Reinaldo Pv Machado Attorney, Agent, or Firml ;loyd J.Andres [57] ABSTRACT A conventional ladder means with the upper ends ofthe parallel side members terminating in a pair of right and leftbrackets, which brackets retain the end portions of an adjustableabrasive coated front belt for contact against the front side of a poleor tree with a second adjustable strap means pivotally secured to0pposite brackets for snugly surrounding the rear portion of said poleor tree for preventing displacement of the ladder when in use.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR LADDER This inventionrelates in general to ladders having a pair of parallel side members ofwood or metal and with equispaced transverse rungs, or steps, whichinclude an attachment on the upper end portion of said members forholding an adjustable front and an adjustable rear strap for securingthe upper end of the ladder to a pole or tree.

Prior to this invention many serious accidents occurred as a result ofthe top end of the ladder slipping from gravitational contact with thepole or tree, particularly the extension type ladder.

The present invention overcomes the dangers of slippage and provides asteady rung footing where work, such as telephone and powerdistribution, is required. A principal object of the invention is theprovision of a metal bracket attachment to the upper end portion of eachof the side members. Each bracket is provided with a pair of slots foradjusting a transverse inner belt, preferably impregnated with abrasivematerial, positioned around the front portion of the pole or tree,including a second two piece belt provided with an adjustable buckle.One end of each piece terminates in a pivotal means secured on a stud ineach bracket for snug attachment around the rearportion of the pole ortree.

These and other objects and advantages in one embodiment of theinvention are described and shown in the following specification anddrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a ladder including thefastening means therefor in reduced scale.

FIG. 2 illustrates a ladder secured by the fastening means shown in FIG.1 to a typical pole.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional plane view taken through section line 3-3,FIG. 2.

FIG, 4 illustrates an alternate form of spring means within a rubbertube as an alternate replacement for the adjustable outer belt shown inFIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional ladder has longitudinal like rightand left side members equipped with transverse e'qui-spaced rungs 1 andterminating in end brackets 2L and 2R, each of which brackets aresecured to a wooden ladder by wood type thumb screws 3. An inwardextension 4 on each bracket 2R has rivets secured to each bracket 2R and2L for adjustably retaining the front strap 5. The strap is preferablymade from fabric reinforced rubber or other elastomer with abrasivegranular material, such as tungsten carbide, imbedded in the outer sidethereof. The rear strap assembly 6 is preferably made of strong fabricin two sections including a high friction type buckle 7 for adjustingthe length thereof and each end of the strap terminates in an eye 8which is secured to a link 9 pivotally attached to each bracket 2R by ashoulder rivet 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates the ladder with a pivotal non-slip foot assembly 11and attached to a typical pole 12 by straps and 6 with the lattermanually tightened and locked by the buckle 7, better shown in FIG. 2,which illustrates the forward wrap of belt 5 and the final outer wrap ofstrap assembly 6.

Where the ladder is used consistently on poles of near equal diameter,such as telephone or power line poles, the outer strap may be repladedby a coil spring with the ends thereof threaded and swagged in an eye 8aat one end and a snap fastener 13 atthe opposite end, with a spring 14covered by a rubber tube 15. The

eye 80 is permanently fastened on one of the links 9 5 whereas the snapfastener is readily applied and removed from the opposite link 9 whendesired.

Although the coil spring ladder retainer is practical for use with nearequal diameter poles, the strap 6 provides for use with large variationsin diameter with equal safety for the user.

It is to be noted that the thumb screw with wood screw threads may bereplaced by machine screw threads and/or a bolt and nut, particularlywhen a metal ladder is used.

It is to be understood that certain modifications in construction areintended to come within the teachings and scope of the abovespecification.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A safety attachment for a ladder having right and left parallel sidemembers and equi-spaced rungs or steps therebetween comprising a rightand left metal bracket member extending rearward from the upper endportion of each said right and left member,

a front strap retainer extending from the rear end of each of said metalmembers with each having a pair of close parallel related vertical slotstherein,

a front strap of predetermined width and uniform thickness adjustablysecured at each end thereof through each said pair of slots for formingagainst the front periphery of the pole against which the ladder issupported, I

a second rear strap having a buckle means therein for adjustment of thestrap with the opposite outer ends of the strap pivotally secured toeach said bracket member whereby the ladder is retained at apredetermined angle against a pole or tree when the said second strap issecured and made taut by said buckle means around the outer side of saidpole or tree for stabilizing the ladder for manual use.

2. The construction recited in claim 1 including a first strap made froma fabric reinforced elastomer material with granular abrasive molded onthe outer side thereof for producing high friction against the portionof a facing curved front side of said pole or tree.

3. The construction recited in claim 1 whereby each opposite end of saidsecond strap is connected by an eye means therein engaged with a linkmeans pivotally connected to each corresponding said left and rightbracket member.

4. The construction recited in claim 1 wherein said second strap is madefrom high tensil fabric material and the buckle means is of the hingedfriction type.

5. The construction recited in claim 1 wherein said second strap isreplaced by a coiled tension spring of predetermined length and diameterand elasticity and covered by a rubber tubing and terminating at one endin an eye means secured by a link means to the left said bracket memberand the opposite end thereof connected to a snap fastener for manualengagement with said link means pivotally secured to the right saidbracket member.

1. A safety attachment for a ladder having right and left parallel sidemembers and equi-spaced rungs or steps therebetween comprising a rightand left metal bracket member extending rearward from the upper endportion of each said right and left member, a front strap retainerextending from the rear end of each of said metal members with eachhaving a pair of close parallel related vertical slots therein, a frontstrap of predetermined width and uniform thickness adjustably secured ateach end thereof through each said pair of slots for forming against thefront periphery of the pole against which the ladder is supported, asecond rear strap having a buckle means therein for adjustment of thestrap with the opposite outer ends of the strap pivotally secured toeach said bracket member whereby the ladder is retained at apredetermined angle against a pole or tree when the said second strap issecured and made taut by said buckle means around the outer side of saidpole or tree for stabilizing the ladder for manual use.
 2. Theconstruction recited in claim 1 including a first strap made from afabric reinforced elastomer material with granular abrasives molded onthe outer side thereof for producing high friction against the portionof a facing curved front side of said pole or tree.
 3. The constructionrecited in claim 1 whereby each opposite end of said second strap isconnected by an eye means therein engaged with a link means pivotallyconnected to each corresponding said left and right bracket member. 4.The construction recited in claim 1 wherein said second strap is madefrom high tensil fabric material and the buckle means is of the hingedfriction type.
 5. The construction recited in claim 1 wherein saidsecond strap is replaced by a coiled tension spring of predeterminedlength and diameter and elasticity and covered by a rubber tubing andterminating at one end in an eye means secured by a link means to theleft said bracket member and the opposite end thereof connected to asnap fastener for manual engagement with said link means pivotallysecured to the right said bracket member.